This biennial program pairs informative educational sessions presented by industry experts with a trade show. More than 14 sessions are offered over two days to highlight new technologies, best practices and address challenges found with utility pole structures and related overhead systems. Engineers, operations and purchasing personnel from utilities and service companies from throughout Western North America have the opportunity to network at the interactive trade show open throughout the conference. The trade show features more than 40 vendors offering hands-on demonstrations of the latest pole products and innovations in the industry. Vendors encouraged to display.
Conference Registration: $449 USD
Registration prices increase $100 after August 20, 2019. Registration includes meeting materials, breakfasts, lunches, and networking reception.
For vendor registration options, please see the Vendor Displays tab.
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Welcome and Conference Overview
Speaker(s): Doug Thomas, Senior Engineer, Cowlitz County PUD
8:15 AM - 9:00 AM
Keynote
Speaker(s): Lisa Fix, Director of Customer Service, Clark Public Utilities
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Poles Structures Part I - Wood, Steel, Fiberglass
Speaker(s): Butch Bernhardt, Sr. Program Manager, Western Wood Preservers Institute, Jesse Saunders, Director of Operations, FRP Transmission Innovations, William Reisdorff Jr., Vice President of Engineering - Global Utility, Valmont Utility
Utility pole specialists will explain the advantages of each pole material as we explore the differences between the materials and discuss when to use each to its best advantage.
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Break with Vendor Displays
In the Exhibit Hall in the Pines & Spruce room.
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Poles Structures Part II - Ductile Iron, Concrete, Q&A
Speaker(s): Warren Stewart, Managing Director, McWane Poles, Ron Barnett, Director of Concrete, Valmont Utility
Utility pole specialists will explain the advantages of each pole material as we explore the differences between the materials and discuss when to use each to its best advantage.
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Managing Vast Overhead Asset Data for Decision Making
Speaker(s): Dan Nunez, Civil Engineer, Bonneville Power Administration, Erin Kees, Program Manager, Xcel Energy Inc.
Many utilities are gathering vast amounts of asset data, but how do they use that data to make decisions about their system? Collecting the data necessary to maintain a condition-based, predictive maintenance program which maximizes the life of wood pole assets is challenging over time, and more so with each additional variable, such as multiple decay zones and contractors. Xcel Energy will present their experience with developing key requirements for well-defined inspection data specifications with systems designed to provide consistency and accuracy of data. Bonneville Power Administration will present their experience with the development of Criticality, Health and Risk scores and their application to prioritizing work on the transmission system.
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch with Vendor Displays
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
Pole Replacement Panel: Asset Management Approaches West of the Cascades
Speaker(s): Jerry Donovan, Senior Project Manager, Portland General Electric, Kevin Gowan, T&D Asset Management Supervisor, Puget Sound Energy
This session will consist of a panel of Asset Management specialists from several utilities West of the Cascades. Each utility will present on their Asset Management strategies with respect to pole replacements followed by a Q&A. Attend this session to learn about different techniques used for life extension of existing assets, the development of effective asset management practices, and other maintenance strategies to reduce life-cycle cost while maintaining transmission system performance.
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Steel Structure Corrosion Program Development – Designing Against Corrosion
Speaker(s): Kevin Niles, Product Manager, Corrosion Engineer, Osmose Utilities Services, Inc.
This presentation will cover corrosion basics, mitigation options, restoration techniques and other key points of corrosion control programs. During the course of their service-life steel structures are subjected to significant environmental exposure. This exposure can have a detrimental impact on the service life of steel structure foundations. Foundations are critical components of all steel structure support systems and are therefore crucial to the national power grid as a whole. Advances in assessment methods and technologies can provide accurate assessment of the current condition of in-service foundations without the need for extensive excavation. Deterioration found on these structures can be categorized to allow utilities to better manage their response through a varied regimen of mitigation and restoration options. The development and management of systematic corrosion control programs can both conserve current costs and help avoid future costs.
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Break with Vendor Displays
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Pole Replacement Panel: Asset Management Approaches East of the Cascades
Speaker(s): Mark Gabert, Wood Pole Management Program Manager, Avista Utilities, Steve Hess, Operations Manager, Midstate Electric Cooperative
This session will consist of a panel of Asset Management specialists from several utilities East of the Cascades. Each utility will present on their Asset Management strategies with respect to pole replacements followed by a Q&A. Attend this session to learn about different techniques used for life extension of existing assets, the development of effective asset management practices, and other maintenance strategies to reduce life-cycle cost while maintaining transmission system performance.
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
Pole Remediation in Dry Climates
Speaker(s): Matt Konkler, Faculty Research Assistant, Oregon State University, Jed Cappellazzi, Faculty Research Assistant, Oregon State University
4:45 PM - 6:45 PM
Reception with Vendor Displays
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Small Cell - Working Together to Achieve a Successful Deployment
Speaker(s): Jaime Breckenridge, Utility Joint Use Coordinator, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Scott Ziska, Wireless Project Manager, Portland General Electric
This session will discuss the details of the coordination necessary for utilities and telecom to work together to install, inspect, and maintain joint assets on individual poles. The presentation will be given jointly by the EWEB and PGE joint use coordinators. Topics covered include: EWEB and PGE standards – their similarities and differences, JU application process, make-ready timelines, should you use contractors or line crews to install, what training is needed/provided by utilities, what challenge is coming next, self-service options for carriers, (e.g. access to GIS pole database), pole top vs. comm space mounts candidate selection, and lessons learned to date.
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
What does the Joint Use Specialist consider that you don't?
Speaker(s): Maureen Nave, Manager Joint Use and Permits, Snohomish County PUD
This session will be an overview to discuss the growing challenges that are associated with multiple companies wanting to attach to utility poles.
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Break with Vendor Displays + Hotel Checkout
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Above Ground Pole Management
Speaker(s): Jerry Donovan, Senior Project Manager, Portland General Electric, Patrick Simons, Senior Engineer, Idaho Power Company, Jeff Morrell, Director, National Centre for Timber Durability & Design Life, University of the Sunshine Coast
Effective internal and external remedial treatments provide tools for arresting decay at groundline where it is most prevalent. Extending the service life of poles at groundline has resulted in older poles more likely to develop durability issues above the ground, especially near the pole top. In this session, speakers from Portland General Electric and Idaho Power will discuss how they manage these above ground issues in the wet area West of the Cascades and the drier inland regions.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Training for the Utility Pole Inspector
Speaker(s): Joel Rowe, Senior Director - Operations Support, Osmose Utilities Services, Inc.
Inspecting the nation’s electrical and telecom infrastructure is challenging work for sure, but the impact on system safety, reliability and resiliency makes it a noble pursuit. Identifying perfectly good or obviously bad poles can be relatively easy, but everything in between requires substantially more technical expertise than most people would assume. In this presentation, Joel will discuss the important ingredients in the selection of a pole inspection candidate and the knowledge that makes them proficient. Whether you need to train one or a dozen pole inspectors, you will benefit from this information.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch with Vendor Displays
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Upcoming Changes in Fire and Vegetation Management
Speaker(s): Shane Vosberg, Sr. Corporate Safety Trainer, Asplundh Construction, LLC
Asplundh Construction maintains more miles of ROW in the utility industry than any other contractor. Listen to their overview of how vegetation management best practices are changing as North American wildfires occur more frequently and in greater intensity than ever before.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Case Study in Corrosion - SnoPUD/Exo
Speaker(s): Gordon Hayslip, Manager, Transmission Engineering & Standards, Snohomish County PUD, Grant Leaverton, VP Business Development, Exo Inc.
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Closing Comments
Speaker(s): Doug Thomas, Senior Engineer, Cowlitz County PUD
3:45 PM - 4:15 PM
Conference Wrap Up
Those wishing to serve on the next planning committee are welcome to attend
Please contact the hotel directly at (503) 460-3000 to reserve your room. Identify yourself as being with Western Energy Institute and use the group code ‘WEI’ to receive a special rate of $179 USD/night. This rate is guaranteed until August 20, 2019 or until the WEI room block is full.
Registration Options
Member (WEI or NWPPA) Attendee + Vendor Display Table: $649 USD
Regular Attendee + Vendor Display Table: $1,599 USD
Registration prices increase $100 after August 20, 2019. Registration includes meeting materials, breakfasts, lunches, and networking reception, and a vendor booth in the exhibit hall. If you are a current member of NWPPA but do not see the Member rate, please call 503.231.1994 and we can process your registration over the phone.
Vendor Display Assistant tickets are available for $299 and include exhibit hall, lunches, and networking reception. This ticket does not include meeting materials or session attendance.
Shipping Information
Embassy Suites Portland Airport
Attn: Receiving
7900 Northeast 82nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97220
Packages should arrive no earlier than three days prior to the conference start date. All packages should include: WEI Utility Pole + Overhead Systems Conference, September 11-12, 2019, and the Number of Boxes.
Vendor Display Schedule
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Set Up: 7:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Display Times: 9:45 AM – 6:45 PM
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM – Break with Vendors
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM – Lunch with Vendors
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM – Break With Vendors
4:45 PM – 6:45 PM – Reception with Vendors
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Display Times: 9:45 AM – 1:30 PM
Tear Down: 1:30 PM
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM – Break with Vendors
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM – Lunch with Vendors